JPH0431908B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a device for steering both the front wheels and the rear wheels in a four-wheeled vehicle such as an automobile, that is, by steering the front wheels, which are steering wheels, the rear wheels as well as the front wheels are steered. This invention relates to a wheel steering device.

Conventionally, steering devices in four-wheeled vehicles steer only the front wheels, and the rear wheels tend to steer actively, although they do some toe-in or toe-out depending on the driving situation, regardless of the steering of the front wheels. I haven't gotten used to it. However, recently, a four-wheel steering device has been proposed in which both the front wheels and the rear wheels are steered (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 55-91458), and research on this type of device is being carried out.

According to the four-wheel steering system, convenient maneuvering that was previously impossible and driving with improved steering performance are possible depending on various driving conditions of the vehicle. for example,
When maneuvering a vehicle at extremely low speeds, such as parallel parking or parking in a garage, by steering the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front wheels (this is called anti-phase), it is possible to significantly change the direction of the vehicle. This makes it possible or easy to park in narrow spaces, which was previously impossible or extremely difficult. Also, U
This is also advantageous when turning, since the minimum turning radius can be made small. Furthermore, by steering the rear wheels in a phase opposite to that of the front wheels, the difference between the inner wheels can be minimized or eliminated, which is advantageous when turning a narrow corner. Also,
When steering a vehicle at such extremely low speeds, if the rear wheels are steered in the same direction as the front wheels (this is called in-phase), it is possible to move the entire vehicle in parallel, making it easier to park or park the vehicle. It is often useful when

On the other hand, when changing lanes while driving at medium to high speeds, if four-wheel steering is performed in the same phase, lateral force is applied to the front and rear wheels at the same time, making it possible to change lanes smoothly without phase lag, thereby suppressing yawing. This allows you to change lanes at high speed without fear. Furthermore, when cornering, the direction of the vehicle can be effectively changed by steering the rear wheels in opposite phases.

Furthermore, when driving straight ahead, if the rear wheels are steered in a direction that counteracts the effect of external disturbances such as crosswinds, stable driving can be maintained against external disturbances, and stable high speeds can be maintained. It is also possible to obtain straightness.

Additionally, even if you accelerate or decelerate while keeping the steering angle of the front wheels constant during a turn, the steering angle of the rear wheels will change in accordance with the acceleration or deceleration, so that you will not deviate from your course and make a stable turn. It can also be done. In other words, in conventional vehicles, the steering characteristics are adjusted to slightly understeer in order to maintain straight-line stability, and when accelerating during a turn, there is a tendency for the vehicle to deviate outward from the course. By doing so, the deviation can be corrected and stable turning can be realized.

In terms of comfort, it is possible to obtain a smaller minimum turning radius with the same wheelbase, so the wheelbase can be increased, and in addition to this, the actual steering angle of the front wheels can be reduced. It has many advantages, including the ability to experiment with new designs.

As described above, four-wheel steering has many practical advantages and is extremely useful.

Regarding this four-wheel steering, various specific configurations have been proposed so far to effectively steer the rear wheels. For example, a system in which four-wheel steering is performed in opposite phases at low speeds and in the same phase at high speeds (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1983-1999)
91457), the same phase when the steering angle of the front wheels is small, and the opposite phase when it is large (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 1983-
No. 5270) The rear wheels are steered in proportion to the steering angle of the front wheels only when the steering angle of the front wheels is below a predetermined range, and when the steering angle of the front wheels is above a predetermined range, the rear wheels are steered regardless of the steering angle of the front wheels. Fixed angle (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 1983-
163969) etc. are known.

These four-wheel steering devices, when the vehicle speed is low,
Or, based on the empirical rule that when the front wheel steering angle is large, it is often necessary to change the direction of the vehicle significantly, and when the vehicle speed is high or the front wheel steering angle is small, it is often necessary to make a slight lateral movement. The rear wheels are always steered in the desired direction.

However, in actual vehicle driving,
One preset four-wheel steering characteristic is not always optimal in all driving environments (road width, whether the road is straight or has many curves, parking in a garage, parallel parking, etc.); In some cases, a two-wheel steering characteristic in which the rear wheel steering angle is always at zero phase may be more preferable than the preset four-wheel steering characteristic. Furthermore, drivers have various preferences regarding maneuverability, and some people prefer the maneuverability provided by two-wheel steering.

In view of the above circumstances, the present invention enables selection of a second control mode in which the rear wheel steering angle is always set to zero phase in accordance with the driver's request, in addition to the automatic first control mode according to the driving state. The object of the present invention is to provide a four-wheel steering device that provides a flexible four-wheel steering system.

The four-wheel steering device according to the present invention includes: a steering device that steers the front wheels; a rear wheel steering device that steers the rear wheels; a vehicle speed sensor; and a rear wheel steering angle characteristic that changes with respect to the front wheel steering angle depending on the vehicle speed. At least in the high speed range, the rear wheel steering angle characteristics are controlled to be in the same phase with respect to the front wheel steering angle, and the characteristics are set to A first control mode in which rear wheel steering is controlled according to a first control characteristic set such that the rate of increase in the front wheel steering angle is smaller than the rate of increase in a region where the front wheel steering angle is small; a second control mode that controls rear wheel steering in accordance with a second control characteristic that sets the phase to zero; The present invention is characterized by comprising a selection means for selecting one of the control modes.

According to the five-wheel steering system for a vehicle according to the present invention configured as described above, when the first control mode is selected, the rear wheels are controlled in the same phase as the front wheels at least in the high speed range. In the case of vehicle speed, lateral acceleration can be obtained sensitively and with good response, making it possible to quickly change lanes and obtain good driving stability.In addition, the rear wheels are controlled in the same phase as the front wheels in the high speed range. The ratio of increase in the rear wheel steering angle to the front wheel steering angle is made smaller in the large front wheel steering angle region, so if the front wheels are steered significantly to change the direction of the vehicle, the front wheels will move backward. The first control mode is steered to a large extent relative to the wheels, and good turning performance can be obtained, and in cases where the first control mode does not match the driver's preference or the driving environment, etc.
By selecting the second control mode in which the rear wheel steering angle is always at zero phase, it is possible to obtain maneuverability that better matches the driver's preference and driving environment.

That is, according to the four-wheel steering system for a vehicle according to the present invention, the first control mode ensures running stability and turning performance at high speeds, while the second control mode, which is the two-wheel steering mode, is required by the driver. can be appropriately selected by the selection means according to the
Compared to the case of using only the first control mode, which is the wheel steering mode, it is possible to obtain maneuverability that better matches the driver's preferences and driving environment, and it is convenient even when the driver is unfamiliar with four-wheel steering, for example. be.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are graphs showing the characteristics of the rear wheel turning angle θ _R with respect to the front wheel turning angle θ _F in an embodiment of the four-wheel steering system of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the two-wheel steering mode, which is the second control mode, in which the rear wheel steering angle θ _R is always zero regardless of the magnitude of the front wheel steering angle θ _F , which is different from the conventional vehicle. This shows the same case of steering using only the front wheels.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the automatic control mode (four-wheel steering mode), which is the first control mode. In this mode, as shown in the figure, the rear wheel steering angle characteristics with respect to the front wheel steering angle depend on the vehicle speed. At least in the high speed range, the rear wheel steering angle characteristics are controlled to be in the same phase with respect to the front wheel steering angle, and the characteristics are set such that the rear wheel steering angle characteristics change with respect to the front wheel steering angle in a region where the front wheel steering angle is large. The rate of increase in the wheel turning angle is set to be smaller than the rate of increase in a region where the front wheel turning angle is small. More specifically, the ratio of the rear wheel steering angle θ _R to the front wheel steering angle θ _F (steering ratio θ _R /θ _F ) is determined by the vehicle speed Vc as a whole.
The higher the speed, the larger the value, and the lower the speed, the smaller the value, and at extremely low speeds it becomes negative (opposite phase). Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the medium to high speed range, when the front wheel steering angle θ _F becomes larger than the set value, the rear wheel steering angle θ _R does not increase even if the front wheel steering angle θ _F increases, and remains constant at each vehicle speed. It's starting to happen. That is, the steered angle θ _R of the rear wheels becomes constant after the front wheels are steered to a certain extent, and is not steered any further. This is based on the empirical rule that the front wheel steering angle θ _F is large when the vehicle wants to change its direction. This is to make it easier to change the direction of the vehicle by steering.

Next, referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a four-wheel steering system in which a first control mode (four-wheel steering mode) and a second control mode (two-wheel steering mode) as in the above embodiment can be selected is shown. The specific configuration will be explained. Third
The figure shows an example using a hydraulic system, and FIG. 4 shows an example using a link mechanism.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, front wheels 1, 1 and rear wheels 2,
The output 4a of the front wheel steering angle sensor 4, which is mechanically separated from the steering wheel 2 and detects the steering angle θ _H of the steering wheel 3, is input to the controller 10, which is a control means of the rear wheel steering device, and this input signal is Therefore, the rear wheels 2, 2 are steered. As is well known, the front wheel turning device, which is a steering device, uses a pinion 5 fixedly attached to a steering shaft 3A to which a steering wheel 3 is fixedly attached to a rack 6.
is moved in the width direction of the vehicle (indicated by arrow A), and the knuckle arms 8, 8 of the left and right front wheels 1, 1 are moved around the shafts 8a, 8a of the left and right front wheels 1, 1 through tie rods 7, 7 continuous to both ends of this rack 6. Turn and front wheels 1,1
It is configured to steer from side to side. That is, when the steering wheel 3 in the figure is rotated in the direction of arrow L, the steering shaft 3A is rotated in the direction of arrow L.
The pinion 5 is also rotated in the L direction, and the rack 6 is moved in the L direction. As a result, the knuckle arms 8, 8 of the left and right front wheels 1, 1 rotate in the L direction via the links 7, 7, and the front wheels 1, 1
is rotated in the L direction around the shafts 8a, 8a of the knuckle arms 8, 8, and steered to the left. At this time, the front wheel steering angle sensor 4 indicates that the steering wheel 3 is in the L position.
The rotation in the direction by an angle θ _H is output as an output signal 4a, and this is input to the front wheel steering angle input 10A of the controller 10 of the rear wheel steering device.

The controller 10 is supplied with power by a power source 11, and in addition to the front wheel steering angle input 10A, the controller 10 has a vehicle speed input 10B connected to a vehicle speed sensor 12, and a feedback input 10C connected to a rear wheel steering angle sensor 13. and a steering direction output 1 connected to a solenoid 20 that controls the steering direction of the rear wheels.
0D and the hydraulic pump motor output 10E connected to the motor 21A of the hydraulic main pump 21 that controls the steering angle θ _R of the rear wheels, and selection to select and switch between the 4-wheel steering mode and the 2-wheel steering mode. A switching input 10F is provided which is connected to switching means 14A and 14B via display devices 14a and 14b connected in series, respectively.

The hydraulic main pump 21 includes a pump 21B that discharges oil (hydraulic oil), and this pump 21B is connected to a hydraulic actuator 23 via a steering direction switching valve 22, and between this valve 22 and the pump 21B. To do this, short-circuit the oil outgoing path 24A and the oil return path 24C, and install orifice 2 on the way.
4b is provided, and an oil reservoir 25 is provided in the middle of the oil return path 24C.
are arranged.

The steering direction switching valve 22 is connected to the oil outgoing path 24A.
and a valve part consisting of two inlets connected to the oil return path 24C and two outlets communicating with the inlets,
There are three valve parts 22A, reverse 22B, and stop 22C that can be switched in parallel, and by operating the solenoid 20, these three valve parts 22A, 22
Either one of B and 22C is the oil outgoing path 24.
A, it is designed to be connected to the return route 24C.
The two outlets of this valve 22 are connected to a right oil passage 23R and a left oil passage 23L of a hydraulic actuator 23, respectively, and these right oil passage 23R and left oil passage 23L are connected to the outgoing path 24A through this valve 22. It is connected to the return route 24C.

The hydraulic actuator 23 moves the rod 26, which is its output shaft, in the width direction of the vehicle (indicated by arrow B) due to the pressure difference between the right and left oil passages 23R, 23L, and moves the rod 26, which is the output shaft, in the width direction of the vehicle (indicated by arrow B). The knuckle arms 28, 28 of the wheels 2, 2 are rotated around their shafts 28a, 28a, thereby steering the rear wheels 2, 2 left and right.

In the illustrated example, when the front wheels 1, 1 are steered in the left direction L and the rear wheels 2, 2 are steered in the same phase as the front wheels 1, 1, the steering direction switching valve 22 is set to the positive 22A position. The oil flows from the outgoing path 24A through the orifice path 24B to the return path 24C, and returns to the pump 21B via the reservoir 25. This results in
The pressure in front of the orifice 24b, that is, on the outward path 24A side, becomes high, and the pressure behind the orifice 24b, that is, on the return path 24C side, becomes low, and the valve 22
The pressure in the right oil passage 23R becomes higher than the pressure in the left oil passage 23L through the positive 22A portion of the hydraulic actuator 23.
is driven in the L direction. The amount of drive at this time is determined by the amount of current input to the main pump motor 21A. As a result, the rear wheels 2, 2 are steered in the left direction L via the tie rods 27, 27, and the rear wheels 2, 2 are steered in the same phase as the front wheels 1, 1.

When the front wheels 1, 1 are steered to the right and the rear wheels 2, 2 are steered in the same phase as the front wheels 1, 1, the steering direction switching valve 22 is set to the reverse 22B position, and the right oil The pressure relationship between the passage 23R and the left oil passage 23L is reversed to that described above, and the actuating rod 26 is driven rightward.

In addition, when steering the rear wheels 2, 2 in the opposite phase to the front wheels 1, 1, the correspondence between the steering direction and the forward direction 22A and reverse direction 22B of the steering direction switching valve 22 is reversed from the above-mentioned case of the same phase. That is, when steering the front wheels 1, 1 to the left, it is set to reverse 22B, and when steering the front wheels 1, 1 to the right, it is set to forward 22A.

Further, when the steering angle θ _R of the rear wheels 2, 2 is set to zero, the stop 22C portion of the valve 22 is connected to the aisle passage to cut off the communication between the pump 21C and the hydraulic actuator 23, and the hydraulic actuator 23 The pressure difference between the left and right oil passages 23L and 23R is eliminated, and the actuating rod 26 is set in a neutral position. At this time, in order to ensure that the actuating rod 26 is set in the neutral position, the actuating rod 26 is
It is desirable to apply a set load to the holder so that it is mechanically biased to the neutral position.

The steering direction and the magnitude of the steering angle of the front wheels 1, 1 are input to the controller 10 by the output 4a of the front wheel steering angle sensor 4, and the rear wheels 2, 2 are inputted to the controller 10 by the output 4a of the front wheel steering angle sensor 4. In the four-wheel steering mode, whether to set the phase or anti-phase is determined by the controller 1 according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 12 and according to a preset vehicle speed corresponding pattern.
0 is determined.

As described above, changeover switches 14A and 14B are connected to this controller 10 via display devices 14a and 14b connected in series, respectively, and the driver operates these changeover switches 14A and 14B to control mode or second control mode,
That is, a four-wheel steering mode or a two-wheel steering mode can be selected, and at the same time, the selected mode is shown on the display device. In other words, the driver can freely switch between the four-wheel steering mode and the two-wheel steering mode according to surrounding conditions, which is very convenient.

4 using a hydraulic actuator like the one above
According to the wheel steering device, the rear wheels can be smoothly steered without applying a special load to the steering wheel for four-wheel steering, which is advantageous in practice.

However, hydraulic equipment includes motors, pumps,
In addition, heavy and costly parts such as hydraulic actuators and control valves are required, which increases the weight of the vehicle and complicates manufacturing assembly, leading to high costs. Not suitable. Therefore, a four-wheel steering system using a simple link mechanism may be advantageous in practice.

An example of this type of link type mechanism will be explained below with reference to FIG. In the configuration of FIG. 4, the same members as those in the configuration of FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

In the link type configuration shown in FIG. 4, a slot 6A for sliding engagement is provided in a part of the rack 6 that is moved in the width direction of the vehicle by the steering wheel 3, and the rear wheels 2, 2 are steered from this slot 6A. Slot 41A provided in rod 41 for sliding engagement
The front wheels 1 and 1 are connected by a link mechanism between the front wheels 1 and 1.
The rear wheels 2, 2 are steered in a desired direction by a desired turning angle _θR according to a turning angle _θF .

This link mechanism has a first L-shaped lever 3 that is pivotally supported on a fixed shaft 31a and has one end 31A that is slidably engaged with a sliding engagement slot 6A on the front wheel side.
1. A connecting lever 3 whose one end 32A is rotatably connected to the other end 31B of the first L-shaped lever 31.
2. One end 33 is attached to the other end 32B of this connecting lever 32.
A swinging lever 33 with the other end 33B pivotally supported on a fixed shaft 33a, and one end 34A of the swinging lever 33 rotatable on a connecting shaft between the one end 33A of the swinging lever 33 and the other end 32B of the intermediate lever 32. A control lever 34 connected to the control lever 34 is slidably engaged in the vicinity of the free end of the control lever 34, and is pivotally supported with a rotation shaft 35A on a feed sleeve 36 screwed into a screw rod 37. A motor 3 for rotating the receiving sleeve 35 and the screw rod 37.
8. A connecting lever 39 whose one end 39A is pivotally supported by a shaft support 34A provided at an intermediate position of the control lever 34, and the other end 3 of this connecting lever 39.
The second L-shaped lever 40 has one end 40A connected to the second L-shaped lever 9B and the other end 40B slidably engaged with the sliding engagement slot 41A on the rear wheel side.

The motor 38 is connected to a controller 50 and driven by the output of the controller 50.
This controller 50 is supplied with power from a power source 51 and receives the output of a vehicle speed sensor 52. Further, a potentiometer 53 is disposed near the screw rod 37 to feed back the position of the feed sleeve 36 screwed onto the screw rod 37 to the input of the motor 38.
It is now possible to control the position of the Steering mode changeover switches 54A and 54B similar to the example shown in FIG. 3 are connected to this controller 50 via serially connected display devices 54a and 54b, respectively. You can now select the mode.

According to the four-wheel steering device equipped with the link mechanism described above, when the steering wheel 3 is rotated to the left (in the direction of arrow L), the pinion 5, rack 6, tie rods 7, 7, knuckle arms 8, 8, front wheels 1, 1 all rotate or move in the direction of arrow L, steering the front wheels 1, 1 to the left, and at the same time rotate the first L-shaped lever 31 in the L direction around the fixed shaft 31a, The swing lever 33 is rotated in the L direction around the fixed shaft 33a, and the sleeve 35 receives the controller lever 34.
The connecting lever 39 is moved in the L direction, and at the same time, the second L-shaped lever 40 is rotated in the L direction to move the steering rod 41 of the rear wheels 2, 2 in the L direction. This causes the rear wheels 2, 2 to be steered to the left in the same phase.

The controller 50 selects the steering mode by the changeover switches 54A and 54B, and the motor 3
8 is driven and the feed sleeve 36 moves downward (to the left of the vehicle) in the figure, and when the feed sleeve 36 reaches the position of one end 39A of the connecting lever 39, the control lever 34 moves the rotation shaft 35 of the receiving sleeve 35.
Since the connecting lever 39 does not move forward or backward (left/right direction in the figure) even if it swings around A,
is not steered.

When the receiving sleeve 35 is further moved downward by the drive of the motor 38 and exceeds the position of the one end 39A of the connecting lever 39, the swinging of the control lever 34 in the same direction as above (L direction) causes the connecting lever 39 to move as described above. On the contrary, move it forward. This is because the control lever 34 swings around the pivot shaft 35A of the receiving sleeve 35. Therefore in this case the third L-shaped lever 40
rotates in the direction of arrow R, the steering rod 41 of the rear wheels 2, 2 moves in the direction of arrow R, the rear wheels 2, 2 are steered to the right, and four-wheel steering with opposite phases is performed. It turns out.

In this way, by driving and controlling the motor 38 with the output of the controller 50, the receiving sleeve 35 is moved via the sending sleeve 36, thereby changing the position of the pivot axis of the control lever 34. As a result, the direction of steering of the rear wheels 2, 2 can be changed by changing the moving direction of the connecting lever 39. Furthermore, by controlling the distance of movement of the receiving sleeve 35, the magnitude of the steering angle θ _R of the rear wheels 2, 2 in the same phase and in the opposite phase can also be changed. By the output of the controller 50, the front wheels 1,
It becomes possible to arbitrarily control the direction and magnitude of the steering of the rear wheels 2, 2 in accordance with the steering of the rear wheels 1.

Since the output from the vehicle speed sensor 52 is input to the controller 50, when the four-wheel steering mode is selected, the front wheels 1,
The magnitude of the steered angle θ _R of the rear wheels 2 and 2, which is steered according to the magnitude of the steered angle θ _F of the rear wheels 1 (including the direction)
can be controlled according to the characteristics of the steering ratio in the four-wheel steering mode described in the above embodiment.

Note that the control characteristic pattern in the four-wheel steering mode is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1, but can be set in multiple ways so that the rear wheel steering angle characteristic with respect to the front wheel steering angle changes depending on the vehicle speed. It is a vehicle speed sensitive type that controls the above-mentioned characteristics to be in the same phase at least in a high speed range, and the high speed range in-phase characteristics are in a region where the increase ratio of the rear wheel steering angle to the front wheel steering angle is large. Any type of area may be used as long as it is set to be smaller than the small area.

In this way, even with the link type configuration shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to realize the rear wheel turning angle characteristics with respect to the front wheel turning angle as in the above-described embodiment. In particular, this link type mechanism is lighter in weight than a hydraulic type, has a simple structure, is easy to assemble, and can be manufactured at low cost, so it is suitable for small vehicles.

As explained in detail above, according to the four-wheel steering system of the present invention, when the first control mode is selected, the rear wheels are controlled in the same phase as the front wheels at least in the high speed range, so In this case, the lateral acceleration can be obtained sensitively and responsively, making it possible to quickly change lanes and obtain good driving stability. Since the ratio of increase in the rear wheel steering angle to the front wheel steering angle is small in the large front wheel steering angle region, if the front wheels are steered significantly to change the direction of the vehicle, the front wheels will be larger than the rear wheels. The steering is relatively large and good turning performance can be obtained, and if the first control mode does not match the driver's preference or the driving environment, the second control mode By selecting the two-wheel steering mode, it is possible to obtain maneuverability that better matches the driver's preferences and driving environment.

That is, according to the four-wheel steering system for a vehicle according to the present invention, the first control mode ensures running stability and turning performance at high speeds, while the second control mode, which is the two-wheel steering mode, is required by the driver. can be appropriately selected by the selection means according to the
Compared to the case of using only the first control mode, which is the wheel steering mode, it is possible to obtain maneuverability that better matches the driver's preferences and driving environment, and it is convenient even when the driver is unfamiliar with four-wheel steering, for example. be.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are characteristic curves showing the relationship between the front wheel steering angle and the rear wheel steering angle in the four-wheel steering system of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is an example of the two-wheel steering mode, which is the second control mode. FIG. 2 shows an example of the four-wheel steering mode, which is the first control mode. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the four-wheel steering device of the present invention using hydraulic pressure, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the four-wheel steering device of the present invention using a link mechanism. 1...Front wheel, 2...Rear wheel, 3...Steering wheel, 4...Steering angle sensor, 5...Pinion, 6...Rack, 7, 27...Tie rod,
8,28...Katsukuru arm, 10,50...Controller, 12,52...Vehicle speed sensor, 20...
...Solenoid, 21...Main pump, 22...
Rear wheel steering direction switching valve, 23... Hydraulic actuator, 25... Reservoir, 26... Rear wheel steering rod, 31... First L-shaped arm, 32...
Intermediate lever, 33... Swinging lever, 34... Control lever, 34A... Shaft support, 35... Receiving sleeve, 35A... Rotating shaft, 36... Feed sleeve, 37... Screw rod, 38... ... Drive motor, 39 ... Connection lever, 40 ... Second L-shaped lever, 41 ... Rear wheel steering rod.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A steering device that steers the front wheels, a rear wheel steering device that steers the rear wheels, a vehicle speed sensor, and a steering device that changes the rear wheel steering angle characteristic with respect to the front wheel steering angle according to the vehicle speed. At least in the high speed range, the characteristics of the rear wheel steering angle with respect to the front wheel steering angle are controlled to be in the same phase, and the characteristics are set to have a plurality of settings. A first control mode in which rear wheel steering is controlled according to a first control characteristic set such that the increase rate is smaller than the increase rate in a region where the front wheel steering angle is small, and a first control mode in which the rear wheel steering angle is always set to zero phase. a second control mode for controlling rear wheel steering according to a second control characteristic, and a control means for controlling the rear wheel steering device by selecting one of the second control modes; and first and second control modes in the control means. A four-wheel steering device for a vehicle, comprising: selection means for selecting one of the following.